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Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

Take it from me, Mama, STRESS WILL KILL YOUR SUPPLY! It sounds like you are pushing your emotions to the max, and that will halt your supply. As much as it sounds impossible, you need to relax. I agree with PP, can you get some vacation time? It sounds like you need to just to take a physical and mental time out. That could really do wonders for your supply

When you are with your DS, how many times are you nursing him? Is he nursing during the night?

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

Originally Posted by @llli*lllmeg

hey, i just saw your other thread...

ok so, how long have you been back at work and how much milk/formula was your baby being fed when you were at work?

Any chance of taking some vacation time, family leave for health issues, something? With the right care you could possibly get this turned around in just a few weeks but I will be honest with you, doing that is going to be way harder if you are working full time as well.

What kind of a pump do you have? How old? Have you done any pump troubleshooting? Can you rent a hospital grade pump for a month?

Was baby weighed at two weeks and at the 2 month visit for shots???

I have been back to work since Sept 10. I was pumping about 9-12 oz a day while at work. He was only getting supplemented maybe one bottle a day. When I was home he was EBF, but it took a hit when I went to work. This all started when I went to a conference for work and couldn't pump during the day. I also rent a hospital grade pump that I leave at work and I have a medela pump in style that I have at home.

I can't remember for sure what my DS actual weight was at his two week check up, but I do know that he was more than his birth weight, so he gained back all he lost. He did not get weighed at his 2 month visit because I was having insurance issues and had to go to a local Multi Care Clinic who did the free shots for kids. My Ped is wanting me to come every 2 weeks so he can see how my son is growing. We don't know if he was growing fine and then all of a sudden stopped or if he is just growing at a slow pace the whole time.

My next vacation isn't until the end of December. I get almost a week off. I can't take time with out pay due to my DH and his job. I am the bread winner in the family right now. I really had a goal to BF my DS until he was 12 months, but maybe I just isn't in the cards.

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

Well, if you aren't nursing him through the night, then I suggest that you start. I know you are looking to get sleep, but you can up your supply by increasing the number of times you get baby to breast. Even if you get up every 3 or 4 hours, something will help if you aren't nursing him at all right now in the middle of the night! I recommend actually nursing rather than pumping as baby can empty the breast much more efficiently than a pump. As PP mentioned, if you want to up your supply you should be nursing/pumping at least 10-12 times.

I understand the pressures of bringing home the bacon, so just try and do what you can to relax when you are home. See if DH will do some of the chores or cook some meals. Take a shower or a bath before you nurse. Anything that you can do to relax will help!

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

Originally Posted by @llli*blueberrysmom

I recommend actually nursing rather than pumping as baby can empty the breast much more efficiently than a pump. As PP mentioned, if you want to up your supply you should be nursing/pumping at least 10-12 times.

I am not quite sure how much milk I have in me, I have pumped two times since I got to work (3 hrs ago) and have gotten about 3 oz. Normally I have about 5-6 oz by now. I am upping my pumping at work by another time (so now I will pump 5 times at work), and I will nurse about every 1 1/2 - 2 hrs at home and though out the night. Should I pump when I am done nursing too?? The reason I ask that is because I don't have a good supply, DS doesn't stay latched for very long. He gets frustrated. So I think it would be a good idea to pump after he is done for stimulation.

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

You can certainly pump afterwards! I want you to know that what you are pumping is actually quite normal. I pump about 1 - 2 oz after a couple of hours - that's it - but I know my DD is getting more than that. Pumping is NOT a good indicator of what you actually make, so don't be discouraged Normally when baby is first born, you have an abundance of milk, but then your supply regulates to what baby needs. If DS won't latch for long, you can try switching sides when he pops off!

I'm sure that this is very frustrating for you, as you need to work and feed your baby! Make sure you keep hydrated, relax and add in the extra pumping if you can. You can do this Mama!

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

Originally Posted by @llli*blueberrysmom

You can certainly pump afterwards! I want you to know that what you are pumping is actually quite normal. I pump about 1 - 2 oz after a couple of hours - that's it - but I know my DD is getting more than that.

Thanks for the encouragement! Just since yesterday (I drank 64oz of water, upped my fenugreek, pumped and nursed a ton) I have already seen a small improvement on my pumping. I get very discouraged by the end of the day, but seem pretty optimistic by morning. I co-slept with DS last night and let him feed when he wanted. I feel asleep (which I know isn't the safest thing), but woke my self up feeling a let down. Then I noticed that my DS was sucking and swallowing!! That made me happy! I am assuming that I dont get good let downs during the day because I am so worried and stressed about it. Last night proved to me that I need to relax more. I don't know how to do that, but I am going to sure try.

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

Originally Posted by @llli*mrsvitz

Thanks for the encouragement! Just since yesterday (I drank 64oz of water, upped my fenugreek, pumped and nursed a ton) I have already seen a small improvement on my pumping. I get very discouraged by the end of the day, but seem pretty optimistic by morning. I co-slept with DS last night and let him feed when he wanted. I feel asleep (which I know isn't the safest thing), but woke my self up feeling a let down.

It's perfectly safe as long as your taking the proper precautions! And it's a win-win situation, you get your rest and your DS gets more milk! I'm glad things are looking up, keep at it I know you can do this.

SAHM to: born 6/1/10 tongue and lip ties nursed 13 months with sore nipples and mutually agreed it was time to quit! born all natural 1/27/12 nursed for 16 months and lost interest 1/1/14 born all natural 11/4/14 nursing like a champ and growing like a weed!

Re: 4 1/2 month old not gaining weight. Ped concerned!!

I went through this with my now-8-year-old and cosleeping is what helped the most. I let her nurse all night if she needed to, and her weight gain rebounded (and so did my supply!). Good luck, mama! You can do this!

DSD (15), DSS (12), DS1 (10), DD1 (8), DS2 (2), and a new little bean on the way in May 2013.